Blasting process and means therefor



Patented Nov. 3,v 1925.

[UNITED STATES FRANK CAMP, F SAN FRANCISO', CALIFORNIA.

BLASTING PROCESS AND MEANS THEREFOR.

Rele of applicationv Serial No. 572,290,

To all wha/m, z't may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK W. CAMP, citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, Ycounty of San Francisco, State of' California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Blasting Processes and Means Therefor, of which the following is a specificationl My invention has for its object means for tions and particularly such earth formations as are resistant to excavation by conventional shovels or the like, or formations under water. e

n These objects I accomplishby preparing an explosive mixture within a casing an vthereafter driving the said casing with its charge into the earth formation which it is desired to break ,up and, then exploding the' said charge while maintained in said position.l The hardpan which has now been `broken up by theexplosion is readily"l removed by conventional shovels or otherwise.

By referring tothe accompanyingdrawing my invention will be made clear.

Fig. 1 is a detail of my driving or placing appara-tus.

' Fig. 2 is an' enlarged cross section show; ing the explosive charge and 4its surrounding casi lattached to the driver.

Fi 3 1s a partly diagrammatic View of the river and casing Iin position prior to driving them into the earth, together with the mechanism for operating them.

referto videntical parts. A

IThe numeral 1 indicates a gallows frame :as 'used for pile driving or the like and having a pulley 2 .and a hoisting engine 3 by which the cable 4 is raised or lowered carrying therewith the driver ,5, preferably a piece of'steel shafting 8 or 10 inches in` diameter and 15 or 20 feet long and which is bored out on its lower end at 6 and may be partiall sharpened as shown at 7 if V"desired e attachment between the driver {ia-nd the cable 4 may be by any conventional meansv as the eyebolt 8. The explosive charge is shown at 9 enclosed within the casing' 10 and I have found boiler tubing to be particularly well adapted for this. The

casingj-is flattened or pointed as at 11 and a plugQof inert material as cement., as shown at 12, is cast into the bottom of the casing.

- A913 zisshown a"percussion cap and breaking up hardpan and other earth formavate.

Throu hout the gures similar numerals le'd July 1, 1922. This application filed February 2, 1925.

Serial No. 6,497.

14 a fuse which extendsthrough the cover laye-r 15 and exposed at 16 before the casing 10 is .inserted into the hole 6. I prefer to use dry cement as a layer of inert material at 15, this having' the property of preventing moisture getting .into the explosive mixture. The fuse may if desired be brought out of the side of the easing at the point indicated by the numeral 15.

At 17 is shown a stra-tum of hard pan or 6v the like which it is desired to break up preparatory to excavating and which may in some cases lie below a water surface 18. At 19 is shown holding means between the driver Aand the casing.

. The operation is as follows: Y The gallows frame 1 is positioned over the hard pan which it is desired to .exca- 1 The driving member 5 is raised to the top of the frame, the use 16 is lighted and the casing 10 is inserted into the hole 6 and the wedge 19 driven therein' to hold the said casing in position. The clutch on the hoisting engine 3 is released and the driver 5 falls forcing the casing l0 into the 80 hardpan and into the position shown in Fig. 1. The driver 5 is now hoisted, separating at once from the casing 10, which is held in frictional engagement with the hardpan or clay. The fuse which has been properly timed thereafter explodes the percussion cap 13 and the charge 9 causing the breaking up of the hardpan 17.

claim: Y

1. The method of blasting refractory formation which consists in dropping a weighted charge container into said formation, removing the weight, and exploding the charge.

2. The blasting process for breaking up refractory formatlons which .consists of loading a charge of explosive into a casing adapted to`be driven into the ground and then insertin the said casing in a weighted driving mem er and then dropping said 100 member and said casing from a height whereby the casing is driven into the refractory material and then withdrawing the driving member and then exploding the charge.

3. The blasting process svn for breaking up refractory formations which consists of loading a charge of explosive intoa casin adapted to be driven into the ground an then igniting a time fuse connected with exploding means within said charge and then inserting the said casing in a weighted driving member and then dropping said member and said casing from a height whereby the casing is driven into the re- `fractory material and then withdrawing the driving member before explosion of the charge.

4. A blasting charge, comprising a cylindrical casing pointed at one end and having a bottom plug, a charge of explosivek ing containing a blasting charge and means for separabl'y engaging the casing on one end of the riving member and means for holding the driving member ysuspended .at one end with the said casing andv charge separably attached to the other end.

7. Blasting a paratus comprising a cylindrical elongated) driving member and -a cas-l ing containingl a blasting charge and wedge means for separably engaging the casing on one end of the driving member and means at the other end of the driving member for suspending the same.

8. Blasting. apparatus comprising a cylindrical metal shell 'pointed at'one end, a hardened cement plug filling within the pointed end, a charge of explosive material above the plug with means to-eXplode the charge extending from the shell, and a layer of dry cement powder above the explosive material.

FRANK W. oA/MP. 

